CLARET
26
COLOMBIERE
Claret y. Clara, Antonio MakIa, Venerable,
Spanish prelate and missionary, born at Salient, near
Barcelona, 23 Dec, 1807; d. at Fontfroide, Nar-
bonne, France, on 24 Oct., 1870. Son of a small
woollen manufacturer, he received an elementary
education in his native village, and at the ago of
twelve became a weaver. A little later he went to
Barcelona to speciahze in his trade, and remained
there till he was twenty. Meanwhile he devoted
his spare time to study and became proficient in
Latin, French, and engraving; in addition he enlisted
in the army as a volunteer. Recognizing a call to
a higher life, he left Barcelona, entered the seminary
at Vich in 1829, and was ordained on 13 June, 1835.
He received a benefice in his native parish, where
he continued to study theology tiU 1839. He now
wished to become a Carthusian; missionary work,
however, appealing strongly to him he proceeded
to Rome. There he entered the Jesuit novitiate
but finding himself unsuited for that manner of Ufe,
he returned shortly to Spain and e.xeroised his
ministry at Valadrau and Gcrona, attracting notice
by his efforts on behalf of the poor. Recalled by
his superiors to Vich he was engaged in missionary
work throughout Catalonia. In 1848 he was sent
to the Canary Islands where he gave retreats for
fifteen months. Returning to Vich he estabhshed
the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Im-
maculate Heart of Mary (16 July, 1849), and founded
the great religious library at Barcelona which bears
his name, and which has issued several miUion cheap
copies of the best ancient and modern Catholic
works.
Such had been the fruit of his zealous labours and so great the wonders he had worked, that Pius IX at the request of the Spanish sovereign appointed him Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba in 18.51. He was consecrated at Vich and embarked at Barcelona on 28 Dec. Having arrived at his destination he began at once a work of thorough reform. The seminary was reorganized, clerical discipline strength- ened, and over nine thousand marriages validated within the first two years. He erected a hospital and numerous schools. Three times he made a visitation of the entire diocese, giving local missions incessantly. Naturally his zeal stirred up the enmity and calumnies of the irreligious, as had happened previously in Spain. No less than fifteen attempts were made on his life, and at Holguin his cheek was laid open from ear to chin by a would-be assassin's knife. In February, 1857, he was recalled to Spain by Isabella II, who made him her confessor. He obtained permission to resign his see and was ap- pointed to the titular see of Trajanopolis. His in- fluence was now directed solely to help the poor and to propagate learning; he lived frugally and took up his residence in an Italian hospice. For nine years he was rector of the Escorial monastery where he established an excellent scientific laboratory, a museum of natural history, a library, college, and schools of music and languages. His further plans were frustrated by the revolution of 1868. He con- tinued his popular missions and distribution of good books wherever he went in accomj)anying the Spanish Court. When Isabella recognized the new Government of United Italy he left the Court and hastened to take his place by the side of the pope; at the latter's command, however, he returned to Madrid with faculties for absolving the queen from the censures she had incurred. In 18(59 he went to Rome to prepare for the Vatican Council. Owing to failing hi';illli he withdrew to Prades in Fr.ance, where he was still harassed by his calumnious Sp.anish ewiuies; shorlly afterwards he retired to the Cister- cian ;ibbey at I'ciiilfroide where ho expired.
His zealous life and the wonders he wrought l)oth before and after his death testified to his sanctity.
Informations were begun in 1887 and he was declared
Venerable by Leo XIII in 1899. His relics were
transferred to the mission house at Vich in 1897,
at which time his heart was found incorrupt, and
his grave is constantly visited by many pilgrims.
In addition to the Congregation of the Missionary
Sons of the Heart of Mary (approved definitively by
Pius IX, 11 Feb., 1870) which has now over 110 houses
and 2000 members, with missions in W. Africa, and in
Choc6 (Colombia), Archbishop Claret founded or drew
up the rules of several communities of nuns. By his
sermons and writings he contributed greatlj' to bring
about the revival of the Catalan language. His
printed works number over 130, of which we may
mention: La escala de Jacob"; "Maximasde moral
lamdspura"; "Avisos"; "Catecismo explicado con
Uminas"; "La Uave de oro"; "Selectos panegiricos"
(11 vols.); "Sermones de misi<5n" (3 vols.); "Mi.si6n
de la mujer"; " Vida de Sta. M6nica"; "LaVirgendel
Pilar y los Francmasones" ; and his "Autobiografia",
written by order of his spiritual director, but still
unpublished.
Aquilar. Vida admirable del Venerable Antonio Maria Claret (Madrid, 1894); Bl.ANcH,Fi(io del Venerable Antonio Maria Claret (Barcelona. 1906): Clotet, Compendia de la tida del Siervo de Dios Antonio Maria Claret (Barcelona, 1880): Memorias ineditas del Padre Clotet in the archives of the missionaries of Aranda de Duero: Villaba HehvAs, Recuerdos de cinco lustros IS43-JS63 (Madrid, 1S96): Estudi bibliografich de les obres del Venerable Sallenti (Barcelona, 1907). A. A. MacErLEAN.
Colombiere, Claude de la, Venerable, mission- ary and ascetical writer, b. of noble parentage at Saint-Symphorien-d'Ozon, between Lyons and \ienne, in 1641 ; d. at Paray-le-Monial, 15 Feb., 1682. He en- tered the Society of Jesus in 1659. After fifteen years of rehgious life he made a vow, as a means of at- taining the utmost possible perfection, to observe faithfully the rule and constitutions of his order under penalty of sin. Those who Uved with him attested that this vow was kept with great exactitude. In 1674 Father de la Colombiere was made superior at the Jesuit house at Paray-le-Monial, where he became the spiritual director of Blessed ISIargaret Mary and was thereafter a zealous apostle of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1676 he was sent to Eng- land as preacher to the Duchess of York, afterwards Queen of Great Britain. He lived the life of a re- ligious even in the Court of St. James and was as active a missionary in England as he had been in France. Although encountering many difficulties, he was able to guide Blessed Margaret Mary by letter. His zeal soon weakened his vitality and a throat and lung trouble seemed to threaten his work as a preacher. While awaiting his recall to France ho was suddenly arrested and thrown into prison, denounced as a conspirator. Thanks to his title of preacher to the Duchess of York and to the protection of Louis XIV, whose subject he was, he escaped death but was condemned to exile (1679). The last two years of his life were spent at Lyons where he was spiritual director to the young Jesuits, and at Paray-le-Monial, whither he repaired for his health. His principal works, including "Pious Reflections", " Meditations on the Passion ", "Retreat and Spiritual Letters", were published under the title, "ffiuvres du R. P. Claude de la Colombiere" (Avig- non, 1832; Paris, 1864). His relics are preserved in the monastery of the Visitation nuns at Paray-le- Monial.
Sequin. Vie Su P. de la Colombiire (Paris, 1876), tr. in Quarterhi Series (London, 188.'?): Luben, Dcr ehrumrdige Diener (Joltc.i P. Claudius de la Cnlombiire (Einsiedcln, 1S84): Letierce, I.c Sacri Ctrnr, ses apOtres et ses sancitiaires (Nancy, 1SS6): Lettrcs tniditts de la bienbeureuse Marguerite Marie (Toulouse, ISml): CinHRiEH, Ilistoire du V. P. Clatule de la Colombiirt (I'nris, 1S!14): Yi^mawv, Histoire dc la hienheureuse Marguerite Marie (Toulouse. 19(X)): (Emres completes du R. P. de la Colom- biire (Grenoble. IflOl): Hattler, Lebensbild der ehnmrdige P. Claudius de la Cohimbiirc (I'.KW); P0UPI..1RU, Notice sur te scr- viteuT de Dieu, le K. P. Claude de la Cohmbiire.
Gerthi'de Dana Steele.
